Decision makers

Save the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden

A place of natural beauty and quiet retreat in the Los Angeles community of Bel-Air, the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden is modeled on the gardens of Kyoto. The beautiful hillside garden was designed by noted Japanese garden designer Nagao Sakurai in 1959 and constructed between 1959 and 1961. It is recognized as one of the finest examples of Japanese gardens in America and was donated to the University of California in 1964.

Sadly, the garden is now closed to the public and its survival is threatened. In November 2011, UCLA announced plans to sell the garden, citing rising maintenance costs, deferred maintenance, and the lack of attendance due to limited parking. The garden was donated to UCLA by the Carter family with a promise that the garden would not be sold.

The garden was listed for sale in March 2012, after the University removed valuable art objects that are integral to the design of the garden.

Please help us save the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden by signing this petition!

North American Japanese Garden AssociationAmerican Public Gardens Association (partial list)

This petition was delivered to:

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block

Regents of the University of California

Letter to

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block

Regents of the University of California

I am writing to urge you to please stop the sale of the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden. This 1-1/2 acre garden in Bel Air, located only one mile from campus, is considered one of the most notable Japanese Gardens in the United States and is a unique academic and cultural resource for UCLA and the public. Constructed between 1959 and 1961, the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden is among the largest and most significant residential Japanese‐style gardens built in the United States in the immediate post‐World War II period.

We urge you to work with the community and organizations that have joined the Coalition to help Save the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden including The Garden Conservancy, Los Angeles Conservancy, California Preservation Foundation, The California Garden and Landscape History Society, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and other preservation organizations to help save this remarkable cultural resource.